Int. J. Modelling, Identification and Control, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2008 173 Editorial Chang Lin Zhang* College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Department of Music and Music Education, Siegen University, Siegen, Hochstrasse 57, Siegen D-57076, Germany E-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author Hartmut Kapteina Department of Music Education and Therapy, Siegen University, Siegen, Hochstrasse 57, Siegen D-57076, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Quan Min Zhu University of the West of England (UWE), Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK E-mail: [email protected] Kevin Warwick Department of Cybernetics, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 2AL, UK E-mail: [email protected] Biographical notes: Chang Lin Zhang is a Former Professor of Biophysics of Zhejiang University in China and now Visiting Professor in the University of Siegen in Germany. Since 1991, he has been working in the scientific background of acupuncture, music therapy, homeopathy, etc. He found that there is a dynamic dissipative structure of electromagnetic field in living systems, which could be some common background of many holistic medicines and a new chapter of physiology. Meanwhile, he also develops a mathematical method to understand and to evaluate the degree of coherence in living systems. Hartmut Kapteina is a Professor for Music Education and Therapy in the University of Siegen (Germany) since 1972. He developed several music therapeutic programs for patients, who suffer from different psychic diseases. His research efforts concentrate on the efficiency of treatment with music, the symbolic functions of music instruments and the bio-psycho-social influence of sound and music on human being. Quan Min Zhu is a Professor in Control Systems at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS), University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK. He had his higher education both in China and the UK and received his PhD in Faculty of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK in 1989. His main research interest is in the area of non-linear system modelling, identification and control. Recently, he started investigating electrodynamics of acupuncture points and sensory stimulation effects in human body, modelling of human meridian systems and building up electro-acupuncture instruments. He has published over 100 papers on these topics. Currently, he is Acting as the Associate Editor of International Journal of Systems Science and the Editor (and founder) of International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control. Kevin Warwick is a Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England, where he carries out research in artificial intelligence, control, robotics and biomedical engineering. Copyright © 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. 174 C.L. Zhang et al. He is also Director of the University KTP Centre, which links the University with Small to Medium Enterprises and raises over £2Million each year as research income for the University. He took his first degree at Aston University, followed by a PhD and a research post at Imperial College. He subsequently held positions at Oxford, Newcastle and Warwick Universities before being offered the Chair at Reading. He has been awarded higher doctorates (DScs) both by Imperial College and the Czech Academy of Sciences. He was presented with The Future of Health Technology Award from MIT (USA), was made an Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg and received the IEE Achievement Medal in 2004. In 2000, he presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. Physiotherapy includes all medical treatments without the 13 papers have been selected to reflect the thematic vision. involvement of chemical compounds, such as sport, dance, The contents of these studies are briefly described as walk, music therapy, acupuncture therapy, soft laser follows. therapy, soft microwave therapy, electric pulse In the paper, ‘Brief history of modern scientific therapy, massage, foot bath, meditation, etc. and even research into acupuncture systems: a path from static homoeopathy. anatomic structure of particles to dynamic dissipative The theoretical basis of the conventional school of structure of electromagnetic field’, C. Zhang briefly medicine at the present time is mainly based on introduces how the invisible structure, which is in some biochemistry, or more precisely, the particle pattern of the extent corresponding to the mysterious ancient Chinese substantial part of the human body. Therefore, it appears acupuncture meridian systems, was found through sensible to find the mechanism to guide the development the accumulation of the endeavours of many scientists all of chemotherapies, chemical remedies and many related over the world in the last 60 years. analytic medical instruments. However, the particle pattern In the paper, ‘Background of electronic measurement is not sufficient to guide the development of on skin’, C. Zhang briefly presents some important physiotherapeutic techniques and related instruments, experimental results in this period in order to show that the without understanding the wave and field pattern of the so called ‘skin resistance’ which has been widely used in human body. the electronic measurement is actually the measurement of Compared to a thorough understanding of the particle ‘body conductivity’, which is proportional to the strength pattern or the chemical aspect of the human body, an of electromagnetic field inside the body. And the understanding of the field aspect and the wave pattern of heterogeneous distribution of the strength of the human body is still very weak. For instance with electromagnetic field comes from the superposition of acupuncture, this ancient Chinese medical therapy is now electromagnetic standing waves in the body. In other widely used and accepted by patients all over the world. words, there is an interference pattern, or dynamic However the mechanism of this ancient technique and its dissipative structure of electromagnetic field inside the theory, namely meridian systems, is still a big challenge to body to determine the distribution of the strength of modern science. Similar situations also exist in electromagnetic field. This pattern is reflected as body understanding of mechanism of the charkas systems in the conductivity and therefore can be measured electronically. Indian medicine and of homoeopathy, the strange German In the paper ‘A fuzzy approach to overcome therapeutic method. electroacupuncture accommodation’, Q.M. Zhu, X.W. Sun In the last 60 years, many scientists in several countries and A.G. Pipe present how to use Fuzzy Decision-Making in China, Europe and USA have made big endeavours to mechanism to process imprecise and linguistic study the mechanism of these ancient physiotherapeutic characteristics of ElectroAcupuncture Accommodation techniques. Much experimental work has been done and Overcoming knowledge, therefore efficiently regulate dozens of theories, hypotheses or models have been put pulse amplitude and width in forming the stimulating forward. For instance, in the area of acupuncture, there are control. well known hypotheses of nerve-reflex theory, gate-control In the paper, ‘Mathematical, physical and theory of pain, neurohormonal theory, electric conductance physiological backgrounds of normal distribution, delta theory, morphogenetic singularity theory, singular points distribution and log-normal distribution’, Changlin Zhang in bioelectric field, low hydrolic resistance channel theory, presents a practical way to evaluate the state of complex microwave channel theory, electrochemical theory, the system based on the coupling relationship between third balance system theory and so on. Similarly there have elements in a system. If the elements are oscillators of been many other theories, hypotheses or models for electromagnetic waves, the state of the system can be the mechanism of homoeopathy, charkas, sports medicine eletronically measured and quantitatively calculated and and music therapy. then expressed in a simplifed Hilbert space. This method We believe that the series of works in this Special Issue has been successfully used to evaluate the provide a useful reference for understanding the effectiveness of music therapy, sleep quality, meditation, mechanism of physiotherapies scientifically and evaluating acupuncture operation, etc. and some related experimental their effectiveness and efficiency quantitatively. In total, papers are included in this issue. Editorial 175 In the paper, ‘Music therapy in the viewpoint of In the papers, ‘Mirror-log-normal distribution of body biophysics’, Hartmut Kapteina and Changlin Zhang conductivity during night-time sleeping’ and ‘Frequency discuss the relationship between the accoustic waves representation of the body alive: order of the moving in music and the electromagnetic waves in human body-in-process’, Peter Weinberg and Christof Ziaja body. Electronic measurement and statistical mathematics present their astonishing experimental results in the are introduced into the research of music therapy in order research area of sport medicine and sleep quality, using the to see the effectiveness of music therapy and its ability of methods of electronic measurement and statistical regaining coherence for patients. mathematics. In the paper, ‘Ultraweak photon emission of Psilocybe In the papers, ‘Instrumental measurement of the cubensis mycelium tissue: comparison of tissue